Glaucoma is a major eye disease which can cause progressive loss of vision leading to blindness. The majority of human glaucomas are associated with increased intraocular pressure (“IOP”) resulting from an imbalance in the rate of secretion of aqueous humor by the ciliary epithelium into the anterior and posterior chambers of the eye and the rate of aqueous humor outflow from these chambers, primarily via the canal of Schlemm. High IOP is considered the major risk factor for glaucomatous visual impairment resulting from the death of retinal ganglion cells, loss of the nerve fiber layer in the retina, and destruction of the axons of the optic nerve. Current treatments are directed toward reducing intraocular pressure.
Glaucoma is typically classified, on the basis of its etiology, as primary or secondary. Primary glaucoma in adults, a disorder in which the underlying cause is poorly understood, is associated with increased IOP due to an obstruction of aqueous human outflow. The obstruction may be caused by a blockage located at the angle formed between the iris and the lateral cornea, categorized as either open angle or acute or chronic angle closure. The anterior chamber of the eye appears normal in chronic open angle glaucoma, despite impaired drainage of aqueous humor. In contrast, the anterior chamber is shallow and the filtration angle is narrowed in chronic angle-closure glaucoma, wherein the trabecular meshwork and the canal of Schlemm may be obstructed by the iris. An acute attack of glaucoma may arise in this context when the pupil dilates, pushing the root of the iris forward to block the angle.
Secondary glaucoma is caused by another disorder which functionally interferes with the outflow of aqueous humor or the flow from the posterior to the anterior chamber. Such interference may be caused by inflammation, a tumor, an enlarged cataract, central retinal vein occlusion, trauma, or hemorrhage.
Several classes of drugs acting by different mechanisms are used as topically administered ocular therapy to lower IOP. These include beta adrenergic blockers (e.g., timolol), topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (e.g., dorzolamide), and alpha2-adrenergic receptor agonists (e.g., clonidine derivatives), all of which act primarily by decreasing the formation of aqueous humor within the eye. Pilocarpine and epinephrine are clinical agents that also lower IOP in glaucamatous eyes, but these drugs act principally by decreasing the resistance in the trabecular meshwork outflow channels. A third mechanism for lowering IOP in the primate eye is by increasing the outflow of aqueous humor via the uveoscleral route. Recently, a prostaglandin derivative belonging to the F2α series of prostanoids, which acts primarily by this uveoscleral mechanism, has been introduced for glaucoma therapy. This drug, called latanoprost, is the isopropyl ester of a compound having the following structure: 
Prostaglandins which may be used in the treatment of glaucoma are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,872 by Garst et al., 4,599,353 by Bito, 5,262,437 by Chan, 5,462,968 by Woodward, 4,132,847 by Kuhla, 5,173,507 by DeSantis et al., 5,578,618 by Stjernschantz et al., 5,208,256 by Ueno, 5,565,492 by DeSantis et al., 5,151,444 by Ueno et al., and PCT Application No. PCT/US93/10853, International Publication No. WO 94/11002 by Woodward.
The present invention relates to prostaglandins which are structurally different from latanoprost and other prostaglandins used in the treatment of glaucoma, and that belong to the 8-iso series of prostanoids, for example 8-iso PGE2, 8-iso PGE2 and 8-iso PGF2α. In contrast to latanoprost, 8-isoPGE2 lowers IOP primarily by decreasing the resistance to trabecular outflow of aqueous humor from the eye.